Moscow to host Intervision international music competition
Representatives of 23 countries set to compete in Russian analogue of Eurovision
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during a press conference ahead of the Intervision contest, an international song contest prepared as an alternative to “Eurovision", in Moscow, Russia on September 16, 2025.
MOSCOW
Moscow on Saturday will host a new global song competition called Intervision, initially positioned as a response to the long-running European Eurovision music contest.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Intervision’s goals is to emphasize traditional cultural values.
The jury also expects participants to include quality songs and national flavor from regions worldwide since its range covers the US, countries in the BRICS bloc, post-Soviet territories, and even Africa.
Representatives from 23 countries will take part in this year’s Intervision.
Artists and groups with confirmed participation come from Belarus, Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kenya, China, Colombia, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, the US, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ethiopia, and South Africa.
The organizers emphasize this represents a much broader geographic reach than Eurovision.
The main music genre at the contest is pop music.
Songs will be sung in national languages, unlike Eurovision, where almost all of the songs are performed in English. According to the rules, submitted tracks must already enjoy popularity in their home countries. The topics of the songs cover national traditions, history of homelands, and culture, love, family, and home.
The winner will be determined by the competition’s jury, which is also different from Eurovision, where audience votes play a critical role.
The Intervision jury is made up of respected figures from the music industry representing every country involved in the contest.
The prize fund totals 30 million rubles (some $360,000). In addition to a cash prize, the winner will receive a crystal trophy bearing the emblem of Intervision, and other contestants will be awarded certificates.
The final stage will take place Saturday night at the Live Arena in suburban Moscow.
Originally, the Intervision song contest took place in the 1970s and 1980s across socialist bloc countries. Later, attempts were made to revive it several times. In 2022, after Russia was excluded from Eurovision, the decision was made to bring back Intervision.
